Doppelganger
by cassidyss
Summary: Alex and Olivia work on a particularly twisting case together. Is it also intertwining their lives?
1. Chapter 1

Rating: M for later chapters

Alex Cabot/Olivia Benson

Summary: Law and Order SVU

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters are mine; all of them belong to the powers that be at NBC and Dick Wolf. I'm just playing with them.

Chapter 1

Olivia pushed herself back from her desk and stood up to stretch the kinks worked out of her neck and back. The resounding pops brought welcome relief and Olivia looked down at the offending object which caused the pain and gave her chair a healthy kick.

"Hello?" asked a tentative voice,

Olivia was alone at the station. Being on call that evening she had decided to stay and complete some much needed paperwork along with reviewing some cold case files cluttering her desk. She turned slowly toward the voice.

"Yes, I am Detective Olivia Benson. Is there something I can help you with?" she replied.

"Yes, I am Nicole, Nici, Ricci and I was just raped." Came the strangled reply.

"OK," said Olivia in her most calming voice. "Nici, I need to know when this happened and if you've been seen by a doctor."

"I…I went to the hospital but…but… I just couldn't go inside and this police officer who was outside was discussing this particular unit and that it specifically handles rape cases. He…was explaining it to a person holding a camera. I think he was doing some TV thing. I don't know. Anyway…" she trailed off as if exhausted.

"Listen, Nici, we really need to go to the hospital and get a rape kit done. The closer to the actual event the better the DNA results will be. When did the attack occur and did you shower or wash since? "Olivia asked deliberately using words other than rape to keep the victim calm.

"Um, it was about an hour and half ago. No, I went directly to the hospital. I mean, I know about DNA and how important it is, I watch tv. Do you think you can catch him?" Nici was now rushing her words.

"Let's take care of one thing at a time, Nici. Right now our priority is to get you to the hospital." Olivia answered. She would call Cragen from the car or the hospital, but right now she needed to get Nici to the hospital. She quickly retrieved her coat and grabbed the keys to the car she'd signed out of the motor pool for a trip out to Riker's that day and hadn't had the chance to return yet, thankfully.

*****

Liv had called ahead to the hospital and the rape specialist nurse was waiting for them with the kit in hand. She immediately got a doctor and the exam began. Nici, as Olivia was prepared for, was hesitant even stepping foot into the hospital and when asked to strip began sob, deep heart wrenching sobs. Liv stayed with her throughout the exam careful only to touch Nici when she was reached for and even then very aware of keeping her touch gentle although it felt like a vice grip was squeezing her hand. For such a petite girl, she certainly was strong Liv thought ruefully. During the exam, Liv sized up her victim. She was maybe 110 pounds soaking wet, about 5"1-2" and had been dressed in jeans and T-shirt. Nici had dark hair and incredible eyes, large and round and a deep shade of grey. Her hair was worn stylishly shoulder length with a rather rumpled look, but Olivia guessed that was exactly the look she was going for and not a condition brought on by the rape. As they were collecting the last of the evidence Olivia already had a few answers to the steady stream of questions she had been quietly asking since the beginning of the exam partly to distract the girl and partly to get working on the case.

First, Nici saw the rapists face and would be able to sit with a sketch artist. Nici was actually an art student studying at SVA (The School of Visual Arts) and said she could probably draw her attacker herself. She had left the window open in her bedroom trying to get some cool air as she had done so many times before and she knew her attacker climbed through the window. She blamed herself saying how stupid it was to leave the window open and lock the front door tightly like she was locking up Fort Knox. Olivia nodded but said nothing since Nici lived on the fifth floor of a walkup.

Nici also had fought back, only to have her hands raised above her with one hand by her attacker and the lower half of her body pinned down by him. He was tall she said, easily 6'3" plus and had overpowered her without batting an eye. He used her own underwear as a gag as he raped her. The only words he said were, "I don't even need you bitch!" Then he was gone. Out through the window. She ran to look at how he'd gotten in the window in the first place, and saw him riding a cherry picker down to the ground and calmly getting into a white truck and driving away. There had been something covering the license plate, so she couldn't read the numbers.

Olivia began making phone calls to the necessary people as the nurse went in search of a pair of hospital issue sweats for Nici. She called CSU and gave the location of the attack. She called Elliot's mobile to meet them there and then realized Cragen and the rest of the crew were probably already at the precinct since it was going on 8:00 am. She called Cragen and filled him in and he directed her to bring Nici back to the station with her so they could get to work on the sketch. He would send Fin over to help Elliot while he had Munch run the MO through the database.

*****

Olivia and Nici arrived at the station and Nici was whisked off to an interview room with the sketch artist. Olivia instantly began organizing her note, preparing them for the meeting the crew would have shortly. The only saving grace seemed to be that this guy didn't use a condom. The rape kit had gathered plenty of DNA. Liv only hoped they would get a hit in the database.

An exhausted Olivia headed off to the crib for a quick nap while she had a few minutes of down time.

*****

About the same time Olivia's head hit the pillow, Alex Cabot was walking out of a coffee shop, with brew in hand, newspapers tucked under her arm and signature briefcase slung over her shoulder. She was walking with a sprite air to her step. Her date the previous evening had seemed perfect. He was intelligent, articulate, handsome, and had a sense of humor. Everything a girl could ask for wrapped up neatly with a bow. She was looking forward to a second date, something she hadn't been on in quite awhile. A second date, she thought to herself, she had no idea if he was even going to call her again and here she was planning on her second date. Cart before horse, she thought as she climbed the steps to the courthouse prepared for an arraignment. She couldn't wait to tell Liv about Thatcher. Olivia and she had become close friends and even confidants being the only females in their small group.

Alex entered the courthouse and headed down the hall towards her courtroom with a wistful smile playing about her lips. Seconds later, she turned into the Ice Queen she knew was her nickname behind her back. She didn't mind a bit, as a matter of fact she took it as a form a flattery. No one wanted to mess with her and she was happy to have earned the reputation. The other ADA's were jealous and the defense attorney's well, let's just say, had learned she played hardball.

Alex settled behind her desk after the arraignment and arriving at her office. She looked at the stack of never ending paperwork and wished she had a fairy god mother who handled motions and research and warrants and all of the other pressing matters inside each file.

At first Alex had wanted to be a part of the Special Victims Unit because she had higher political aspirations. Living victims would make wonderful voters. Homicide was what most ADA's were gunning for, but Alex was content to bide some time with SVU making a name for herself until she felt it was time to move on. She hoped to get Major Case one day. Then she met Olivia and decided her time here was worth more than just a vote. It was about getting justice for the victim. Alex had decided to stay at least 3 years with unit doing what she could to help this small group of underpaid and overworked detectives who bit into each case with such gusto it had become contagious.

Alex reached for the phone and dialed Olivia's cell ready to tell her about her wonderful date and her hopes for a future one.


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: PG

Pairing: A/O

Summary: SVU

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters are mine; all of them belong to the powers that be at NBC, oh, and that mysterious mastermind, Dick Wolf.

_Alex reached for the phone and dialed Olivia's cell ready to tell her about her wonderful date and her hopes for a future one._

Chapter 2

Damn, Alex thought as her call went straight to voicemail on Olivia's cell. She knew Olivia had been on call and prayed that the night had been quiet and Olivia was able to get some sleep. She was always worried about Liv she thought. She let her mind wrap around that thought for a moment. All good friends worry about their friends she thought. However, she did allow a thought to surface before stuffing it way down to a place she couldn't let herself wander. She realized she thought about Liv's welfare more than any of her other friends and more than just the regular worrying. She wanted, no NEEDED, Olivia to be OK. She couldn't imagine life without her. Hmmm, she thought, chalking it up to the fact that Olivia was a cop and that was probably where all the worry stemmed from. She adjusted the glasses resting on her nose and tried to concentrate on the file in front of her. OK, she needed to know Liv was fine so she decided to call the precinct to make sure.

"Hello?" She asked into the phone after dialing Liv's direct line.

"Yes?" The voice at the other end replied.

"Um, is Olivia Benson there? This is ADA Cabot." she stated.

"She's here somewhere, hang on." Came the reply and then the sound of retreating footsteps.

Crap, thought Alex about 5 minutes after holding slamming the phone down.

*****

Olivia was sound asleep when the rookie cop came into the crib saying she had a phone call from an ADA. She slowly awoke and sat up rubbing her hands through her well tousled hair. She started making her way toward her desk, only to realize she needed the bathroom first. After taking care of business she headed to her locker for a fresh change of clothes and her toiletries kit completely forgetting about the phone call waiting for her. She only remembered while buttoning her new clean shirt. Damn, she thought. I'll call Alex later. She wondered how her date went, but wasn't necessarily ready to hear all about it and her spidey senses tingled with the knowledge that the phone call had been about that.

Olivia had carried a torch for her friend from the moment Alex had walked into her life. She wouldn't ruin the best friendship she had, well, ever, by doing anything about it. Olivia was bi and had known it all her life. Elliot and the rest of the squad never seemed to care that she dated both men and women and never discussed really. Cragen acted indifferent and everyone seemed to take their cue from him. Alex was like the epitome of everything Olivia dreamed of in a lover. However, the friendship they had forged prevented her from acting on it. Elliot was the only one who knew of her feelings for the incredibly gorgeous ADA and he enjoyed his fair share of ribbing her about it. Olivia knew she should pop him in the nose, or kick him somewhere south of his buckle, every time he teased her, but secretly she was glad to have someone else who knew. Someone she trusted with her life.

Olivia went in search of Nici and the sketch artist and true to her word Nici was doing most of the work when she found them. The man was actually good looking Olivia thought. Huh, this job never seemed to run out of surprises. If this was really the man, he could've been a model she thought. Power and control though was what rape was all about. Olivia knew looks were deceiving from all her years on the job. People want to believe rapists look like monsters, but in reality, they were just people like everyone else.

"Olivia." Nici said looking up and looking relieved to see her.

"Hey, Nici, how you making out here? Looks like you're doing a great job." Olivia said giving her a small smile of encouragement.

"She's doing most of the work." The sketch artist exclaimed.

"I can see that." Olivia replied. "You're very talented, Nici. The SVA is lucky to have you."

"Thanks." Nici answered. Nici was looking tired and Olivia knew she was running out of steam.

"Why don't we get you some rest Nici. Do you have anyone who can stay with you, family or friends? It is usually best not to be alone after a person has been through such an ordeal." Olivia asked and stated.

"My parents live out in Queens. Oh god, what am I going to tell them. How can I tell them? They are totally going to freak and never let me out of their sight again. They didn't want me living in the dorm in the first place, saying I could commute to school. When they find out they are going to make me move back home." She finished.

Olivia didn't know what to say, so she just remained silent and thankful that Nici had family in the area. Family also meant friends. Olivia knew that Nici would have a network in place to help her deal with her rape. Olivia would also give her a numbers for rape counselors and her own information so Nici could reach her anytime she wanted. Liv stressed that getting in touch with the rape counselor sooner rather than later would make a huge difference on getting her footing on the correct path to recovery. She then handed Nici off to a female officer to drive her out to Queens and her family, soothing Nici by telling her she could call anytime and that the officer with her would help her by being there while she told her family what had occurred the evening before.

Olivia watched Nici walking away then grabbed the sketch. It looked like a photograph with the amount of detail Nici had put into it. She strode over to her desk and decided she had better call Alex and get the date conversation out of the way. Olivia had met Thatcher in the courthouse as he was a corporate attorney and knew the news wasn't going to be exactly what she wanted to hear. He was everything Alex had been looking for with a dash of "more than" thrown in for good measure.

As the phone began to ring, Olivia mentally braced herself for the upcoming conversation. Alex delivered up a tale out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Olivia tried and hoped succeeded in sounding happy for her friend although she was experiencing agita. Alex waxed on and on about how wonderful he was and Olivia found herself holding the phone away from her ear and rolling her eyes as the one sided conversation continued.

"Liv?" Alex asked.

"OLIVIA!....Alex finally yelled, "So can you hook up for lunch tomorrow?"

"Oh, sorry Alex, you know how crazy it can be here." Replied Olivia guiltily. She knew she hadn't been following the conversation for several seconds. "As far as I can say now, yes, but just to warn you now Alex, we got another case last night, so who knows where we will be tomorrow. I'll call you to confirm in the morning, OK?"

"Well, why don't we have dinner tonight?" Said Alex. She knew Liv was coming off a long night if they had caught a case, but something wasn't right with Olivia and she could sense it. Alex figured maybe Olivia would open up about it if they got together outside of the office. She heard Olivia sigh. It was a deep and very intense sound.

"Look, Alex, it's been a long night and I have a lot to do today, so I'm gonna take a pass on tonight. We'll get together this week for sure I just don't know when right now. I'll call you tomorrow like I said about lunch." Olivia responded. She could feel herself needing space from Alex right now. If Thatcher was all that and more Liv didn't know if she could take an hour's worth plus of Alex pontification on the subject. She knew better than anyone that Alex's legal dissecting mind didn't shut off at the end of the day. So, lunch/or dinner was going to be an obvious discussion about whether or not Alex should accept a second date, the reasons for or against it, and blah blah blah, thought Olivia. She hated that she had a crush on Alex. She wished it would go away but instead had gotten more intense the closer they became. Alex was straight and Olivia knew that, but it didn't stop her from fantasizing about Alex in various states of undress or how she looked after being thoroughly kissed or how soft her skin would feel against hers…

"OLIVIA, I said go home. Get some rest and don't come back for at least 5 hours. The lab is putting a rush on the DNA samples, but until then, we don't really have anything here for you to do. Uniforms are out canvassing with the sketch so I want you to rest while you can. If we get anything we need you for we'll call. It's not for discussion, Olivia; you can work on your DD-5 when you get back. Go home, and not the crib." Cragen finished.

Olivia sighed, grabbed her coat and keys and headed out the door into a bright crisp morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Rating: Mature chapter

Pairing: A/O

Summary: SVU

DISCLAIMER: I'm just messing about with characters that do not belong to me, but to the powers that be at NBC and Dick Wolf.

"_OLIVIA, I said go home. Get some rest and don't come back for at least 5 hours. The lab is putting a rush on the DNA samples, but until then, we don't really have anything here for you to do. Uniforms are out canvassing with the sketch so I want you to rest while you can. If we get anything we need you for we'll call. It's not for discussion, Olivia; you can work on your DD-5 when you get back. Go home, and not the crib." Cragen finished._

_Olivia sighed, grabbed her coat and keys and headed out the door into a bright crisp morning._

As Olivia's feet hit the pavement, she realized just how tired she was. She headed to her home and barely made it to the bedroom, stripping the whole the way and climbing into bed after donning a pair of mixed moshed pj's as she didn't have the energy to find to correct top and bottom. She fell instantly into a heavy sleep. Her dreams, as usual were filled with Alex. Alex in the courtroom, Alex behind her desk , Alex perched on the edge of her own desk with those damn legs at eye level leading to…In her dreams her eyes never reached that destination until today's dream. That morning she dreamt of reaching her hand out and grazing it so softly up Alex's legs and reaching inside her suit skirt. She dreamed of Alex's blue eyes hazing over in desire as Olivia neared the juncture between her legs. Olivia's hand continued to travel upward in her dream to cup the mound leading to her sex. In her dream, Olivia held eye contact with Alex as Alex squirmed against her hand aching to be touched.

Olivia continued to dream; only now she was completely naked as was Alex. Alex's head was thrown back in passion as she came underneath Olivia. Olivia woke to her own moaning.

Never had her dreams carried her so far. Shit, she thought. This has got to stop! Alex had just met the MAN of her dreams, not WOMAN. Besides, Olivia pondered, I am out of her league even if she did hit for her own team. There was no way that a woman of Alex Cabot's caliber would give her the time of day if they didn't work together. Olivia was not a pessimist, but rather a realist. However, that did nothing to stem the wetness between her legs and the aroused state her body her body was in. There was only one way of doing that.

She reached down and slowly and gently touched her own sex. It was soaking wet and she moaned at the contact. For some reason, she wanted this to last and instead of just rubbing her clit into an immediate orgasm, she allowed herself to touch her breast and pinch her own nipples, feeling it pull way down in her groin as she did so. She slipped fingers inside her and pumped as best she could in and out, groaning at the contact. OH GOD, she thought, Alex was going to be the death of her. Images of Alex continued to cross her mind and finally she could hold out no longer. She rubbed and tugged and tapped herself into an amazing orgasm.

As she slowly came down and caught her breath she realized her phone was still in the pocket of her jeans strewn somewhere between the bedroom and the hall leading to her door. Just as she was about to get up, she heard her buzzer sound. She bounded out of bed and headed to the buzzer.

"Who is it?" Olivia asked into the intercom.

"It's me." The voice on the other end replied.

Oh great, thought Olivia. Alex. Here now. After, well, after a mind blowing orgasm of which she was the center of attention. Liv's body was still pulsing from the orgasm only about a minute before.

"Uh, come on up." Olivia answered as she buzzed Alex in. She was only on the second floor and knew the wrap at the door was imminent. As if on cue, the knock came giving Olivia just enough time to undue her various locks and latches.

"Hey," said Alex, "I heard through the grapevine I might actually find you here. I wanted to talk to you about your night and mine and really didn't want to wait to have lunch tomorrow. I know you said no to dinner, but are you sure I can't change your mind? My god, Liv, this place is a mess! "Alex was slowly picking up Olivia's clothes as Olivia was keeping herself in check and scared to speak after her dreams and what had just transpired moments before Alex's arrival. Olivia traipsed down the hall following Alex as Alex entered the bedroom and lay the clothing on the chest at the foot of Olivia's bed.

"You were sleeping . I am so sorry Olivia I forgot you said you caught a case last night. My head is definitely elsewhere. Nice jammies by the way." Alex smirked.

"I was too tired to match up." Olivia gave as an explanation to her attire.

Alex actually thought Olivia never looked cuter. She had horrible bed head, her eyes were almost glazed Alex thought and Olivia's face was flushed. She must really have been out like a light Alex thought to herself. She almost looked sexy…Alex quickly pushed that thought aside and dove headfirst into her evening with Thatcher. She was desperately trying to get the image of Olivia in the throes of passion causing such a flush to appear on her face out of her mind. She was speaking a mile a minute and watched as Olivia rummaged through around her pants. Olivia appeared to be paying attention, by uttering the occasional wow and great and that's nice at the right times, but Alex sensed that Olivia was distracted.

"So after having dinosaur for dessert, he picked his nose and wiped it on his sleeve." Alex ended her tale of her evening.

"Sounds terrific." Olivia said, while checking in her missed call log to see if she missed any calls while sleeping.

"OLIVIA, what is going on with you? You act like your listening, but clearly you are not. I thought we had become friends, but friends listen and you are acting rudely."

"Rude?" Olivia bristled. "Rude is me asking for a night to myself and having you show up at my apartment anyway. You just completely ignored my feelings and as for Thatcher, I am happy for you, Alex. I just don't have time for your petty little romance right now, I've got a case I'm working on and am running on more coffee than sleep right now. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to what I was doing before your little visit here and get some goddamn well deserved shuteye."

Alex was stunned! Never had Olivia spoken so harshly to her. She could see the exhaustion in Olivia's eyes and something else too that looked surprisingly like pain. Alex thought she was the one who should be wearing that look, not the other way around.

"Glad you got your real feelings off your chest. I won't bother you again with my "petty" issues." Alex said bitterly. "Go get your fucking rest, Olivia."

"Alex…" Olivia tried to say only to be cut off.

"Let's call a spade a spade, shall we Olivia? I thought we had a great friendship here, but obviously you feel it was completely one-sided. I care, cared, for you. I worried about you. Hell I even thought you enjoyed my company as much as I enjoy, enjoyed yours. Obviously I was mistaken. Let's keep things professional from here on out, shall we? See you tomorrow if you guys need me. Oh and don't worry, I won't be subjecting you to lunch tomorrow either." And with that Alex was out the door.

Olivia stood in stunned silence. What had just happened she asked herself? She was still exhausted and Alex had blown her words out of proportion, hadn't she? Olivia sighed deeply. Great, just fucking great! This was huge. Humongous beyond words. She had just screwed up royally and was in no sense of mind to try and figure things out except to think of calling Alex instantly.

Phone still in hand, she did just that. Only to have the call go straight to voicemail. Olivia wasn't surprised, but began to speak. "Alex, I'm sorry that what I said sounded so selfish. I'm really not myself. I haven't been this tired in ages and I am…I am apologizing for MY rude behavior. Please, Alex, don't just throw this friendship away. I am truly sorry I've been so distracted. I really have no excuse for my behavior. Please call me back when you get this message. Goodbye, Alex." And with that Olivia hung up hoping that goodbye wasn't the real deal. She knew why she was behaving this way and it had everything to do with Thatcher. The little green eyed monster had reared its ugly little head and Olivia didn't have a way of stemming the jealous emotions flowing from her.

As she hung up the phone, it instantly began to ring. "Hello, Morales." Olivia said after checking the caller ID. "What've you got and tell me its good news."

"Actually, Liv, I don't have any exceptional news. That's why I am calling. The crime scene seems to indicate a newbie to this rape game. Not only did he leave behind semen, but fingerprints on the window jams. I got plenty of prints and I am running them through AFUS, but so far, no hits. This guy was bold, I'll give him that much. Cherry pickers by nature aren't fast running machines. He took his sweet time leaving the crime scene too. I'm guessing he was really cocky and arrogant or really really stupid."

"OK, thanks for the update. " Olivia responded. "Call if you get a hit." She said ringing off.

Dammit, she thought after hanging up, how was she ever going to salvage things with Alex. Too tired to get dressed and head to Alex's, she sighed. Tears started to well up in her eyes as her words echoed in her head and she headed back to her bed. She realized she had slept most of the day, but for some reason was still tired and since no one had called her to come in, she lay down sobbing into her pillow mourning the loss of potentially the best and really only friendship she had.


	4. Chapter 4

Rating: PG chapter

Pairing: A/O

Summary: Law and Order SVU

DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, just the puppeteer here.

***Thanks for all the reviews. It sure helps to keep the creative juices flowing.* - Laurel**

_Dammit, she thought after hanging up, how was she ever going to salvage things with Alex. Too tired to get dressed and head to Alex's, she sighed. Tears started to well up in her eyes as her words echoed in her head and she headed back to her bed. She realized she had slept most of the day, but for some reason was still tired and since no one had called her to come in, she lay down sobbing into her pillow mourning the loss of potentially the best and really only friendship she had._

Chapter 4

Olivia woke to a darkened skyline and a throbbing head. Oh no, she thought. I can't afford to get sick. She knew the headache for what it was. It was a fever induced one and judging from her soaked clothes it was going to be high. She stumbled her way into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror briefly before opening it to find her thermometer. She looked terrible with heavy bags under bloodshot eyes. She wasn't sure if she should attribute her horrid look to the fever or the heavy crying she'd done earlier. The thermometer beeped and she read 104.7 F before turning it off rinsing it with cold water and reaching for the Tylenol bottle and pouring 3 into her hand. She knew this would relieve the headache and bring the fever down as well.

She was dying of thirst and made her way to the kitchen for bottled water. She stood looking into the fridge trying to remember whether the old adage was to feed a fever and starve a cold or the other way around. In the end it didn't matter because she wasn't hungry. Other than the headache and aches in her body she counted herself lucky that he stomach wasn't involved in this tyranny. Thank god for small favors she thought.

Olivia went back to the bedroom in search of her mobile. She had no missed calls. Damn, she thought. Alex must've gotten her voicemail by now which meant she was deliberately choosing to ignore it. Olivia sighed heavily. Her head was still throbbing and her thinking wasn't clear so she debated for several minutes about leaving another message. The debate had its pros and cons. On one hand Olivia thought that Alex was being selfish but on the other she did have to admit her own behavior had been less than desirable. The debate ended with a decision to go to work and not to call Alex again today. She needed distance she decided. If she was this attached to a fellow co-worker and colleague then something was wrong with her logic. She knew she couldn't help the overwhelming attraction to Alex she had, but she certainly would handle it better.

Olivia dressed and took the subway downtown to the 1-6. The headache was bearable and she needed to know where they stood on the case. Even with a rush on the DNA she knew she wouldn't hear anything until tomorrow.

Olivia arrived at the station and found her team all sitting at their desks. She wondered what they were doing at the precinct at that time. Usually in a case like this they would just be twiddling their thumbs at this point. Each of them though seemed incredibly busy, so busy in fact that none of them noticed her right away.

"Damn, girl. You look like shit warmed up." Fin said.

"Gee thanks, Fin, you sweet talker you." Olivia replied sarcastically.

"No, really he's right, Olivia. What the hell happened? Didn't get any sleep?" Munch asked.

"I got plenty of sleep, I'm just a little under the weather." Olivia sighed.

"Great. Swine flu. I knew that it was going to hit early this year. I have a theory about school beginning and the spreading of germs do to…" Olivia tuned him out as she usually did.

"Thanks for getting' him started Liv. Now I gotta sit here listening to this shit. Swine flu? Damn, can't you just keep one of your lame ass theories all to yourself just once?" Fin directed toward Munch.

Meanwhile Elliot had been quiet and taking in his partner's appearance. They were right he thought. Olivia looked terrible, and obviously the "idiot twins" weren't going to inform Olivia of the new development in the Cherry Picker rapist. Not just Nici but another victim had now come forward with almost exactly the same story. Down to all but one detail.

Elliot cleared his throat and Olivia glanced up from making her tea to look at him.

"Should you be here Olivia?" Elliot asked as she sat down at her desk lifting her tea bag up and down in the hot liquid. "Not that I'm not thrilled to have my partner, but honestly, I don't want my partner's germs. If I get sick then the brood gets sick and it's not a pretty picture." He said trying to gauge her mood.

"I am fine!" she snapped. Then said a much calmer as she realized he was only asking with her best interests at heart, "I'm just a little under the weather, but it's under control, El. Thanks for your concern."

"OK, then let's talk about Nici's case. Another woman came forward with pretty much the same story. This Cherry Picker guy hit both of them yesterday. They lived only blocks from each other and this guy appears to be just an opportunistic son of a bitch. The window was open, same as Nici's. Our guy seems to have come out of nowhere and with a vengeance. The other woman was interviewed and described Nici's story down to almost last detail but one. We got a rape kit but we doubt we are going to get much. She took what she describes as an 'hour long shower to get rid of any traces of that bastard' before calling 911. She got lost in the shuffle, which is why Nici got to us first." Elliot said reading directly from his file.

"Do we have a timeline, yet?" asked Olivia. "I take it the canvas in Nici's neighborhood turned up nothing. Did you do a panel with Nici's sketch? Did the new victim, what is her name, Elliot, pick out the same guy? What is the single difference you are talking about?" Olivia was firing off questions.

"Her name is Rachel Brown. And yes we did a sketch panel and she picked him out instantly. To not prejudice the ID we made sure all the other sketches were detailed up too. Nici really did an outstanding job, so we had to make sure our other sketches were up to par, otherwise that one would have stood out like a sore thumb, just begging to be picked. And the single difference detail were the words he spoke. He told Rachel to call 911. It's like he deliberately is sending a message to us. He knew she would call 911, even planted the idea in her mind. How many rapists tell the vic to call the cops?"

Munch stood up and as if on cue Cragen came out of his office as the group gathered around the monitors as they fired up.

"OK so here's what we've got a double rape within 4 hours of each other in one night. The first rape, Rachel's took place at 12am, and Nici's around 4am. The perp is completely insane enough to use a slow piece of machinery to access the windows, leave behind semen and prints. Morales said he'd call the minute he got a hit on the prints and they've got a rush on the DNA. The only thing the victim's have in common as far as we can tell, until we re-interview them are the open windows on upper level floors. Nici was on the 5th and Rachel was on the 4th. So far neighbors interviewed heard nothing as usual in this city of deafness. I think that puts us all up to date, since Elliot filled Liv in. We got notice out to the area precinct to be on special lookout for a Cherry Picker on a truck. Other than that we just don't have much to go on."

The monitors showed photos of each of the victims. It showed a map pinpointing the exact locations of the rapes. Olivia stood arms crossed over her chest staring at the monitor occasionally coughing a deep rattling sound that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"OK, people, let's call it a night, and get a fresh start on this tomorrow. Olivia, you need to stay and complete your DD-5 and then from the look and sound of you, I don't want to see you until tomorrow and that's only if you are sounding and looking better. That's it people." With those words, Cragen retreated to his office grabbed his own coat and headed toward the elevators followed by the rest of Olivia's co-workers.

She went back to her desk and now cold tea, sighed and began working on her DD-5. She could tell that she was really sick at this point. The fever medication must've worn off quicker than she expected, she thought as her head pounded making filling in the form in front of her seem like she was climbing Everest without an oxygen tank. She could feel her chest tightening and her breathing was labored. Shit, she thought, this is just what I don't need.

She was also stunned that Alex hadn't called her back. Was Alex really going to throw away their friendship?

*****

Meanwhile, Alex sat at her desk head in hands. She'd had a productive day especially since she decided to go back to work after stopping off at Olivia's. She still couldn't believe what Olivia had said. She tried hard to think of what she had done to deserve such treatment. She had gotten Liv's message and was going to call back, but something had held her in check. Maybe this was for the best after all. A clean break. Alex had plenty on her plate with work and things had taken a turn for the better with Thatcher. Her feelings for Olivia scared her at times. She found the woman more than just a little intriguing and sometimes felt that there was more to their friendship. She was pretty sure that Olivia was either a lesbian or bi even though they never discussed it. As a matter of fact, Olivia had in all the time she'd known her had never talked about anyone other than Cassidy, a co-worker she'd slept with who couldn't seem to accept that Olivia had just been looking for some fun and not a relationship and ultimately had transferred out of the unit.

Alex sighed and thought back over the course of their friendship. She had not really tried to get to know Olivia if she really thought about it. What made Olivia tick and made her so special at her job, especially with the victims. She knew that when she calculating dissected their friendship, it was in fact true that Olivia had been a much better listener than Alex had. They had a fairly non-written in stone, non-verbal but rather mentally made agreement not to discuss work too much or current cases, which left personal issues as the agenda for their occasional dinners and lunches.

Just then her phone rang again, and she was happy to see Thatcher's name on the caller ID. She all but pounced on the phone, eager to begin making plans for their second date. All thoughts of Olivia pushed aside momentarily, but not so far out of mind as to realize that the second she got off the phone, she would call Olivia and try to get together to talk face to face about what seemed to be bothering Olivia and for her to apologize for jumping the gun defensively.

"Hello, Thatcher." Alex said answering the phone on the third ring so as not to appear overly anxious.

"Uh, hi, Alex. I've been meaning to stop by but it looks like a phone call will have to do. You know how things get. Anyway, I really enjoyed our evening the other night." He said continuing on, "However, I wanted to let you know that my ex, Lara and I have decided to try and give things a go again. I really did want to do this in person, but felt you should hear it from me seeing as Lara is an ADA as well..." He trailed off clearing his throat.

"Oh, Thatcher, that's wonderful news." Alex said, hoping she was hiding the disappointment in her voice. "I am really thrilled for you."

"Thanks Alex, I am relieved that you understand." Thatcher replied. Well, I've got to ring off, I've got a meeting with a client in 5." With that he was gone…


	5. Chapter 5

Rating: PG chapter

Pairing: A/O

Summary: Law and Order SVU

DISCLAIMER: NBC owns these characters thanks to Dick Wolf. I own nothing.

Chapter 5

Phone still in hand, she did just that. Only to have the call go straight to voicemail. Olivia wasn't surprised, but began to speak. "Alex, I'm sorry that what I said sounded so selfish. I'm really not myself. I haven't been this tired in ages and I am…I am apologizing for MY rude behavior. Please, Alex, don't just throw this friendship away. I am truly sorry I've been so distracted. I really have no excuse for my behavior. Please call me back when you get this message. Goodbye, Alex." And with that Olivia hung up hoping that goodbye wasn't the real deal. She knew why she was behaving this way and it had everything to do with Thatcher. The little green eyed monster had reared its ugly little head and Olivia didn't have a way of stemming the jealous emotions flowing from her.

"_Hello, Thatcher." Alex said answering the phone on the third ring so as not to appear overly anxious._

"_Uh, hi, Alex. I've been meaning to stop by but it looks like a phone call will have to do. You know how things get. Anyway, I really enjoyed our evening the other night." He said continuing on, "However, I wanted to let you know that my ex, Lara and I have decided to try and give things a go again. I really did want to do this in person, but felt you should hear it from me seeing as Lara is an ADA as well..." He trailed off clearing his throat._

"_Oh, Thatcher, that's wonderful news." Alex said, hoping she was hiding the disappointment in her voice. "I am really thrilled for you."_

"_Thanks Alex, I am relieved that you understand." Thatcher replied. Well, I've got to ring off, I've got a meeting with a client in 5." With that he was gone…_

Chapter 5

Alex took a deep breath and sat back in her chair crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn't believe the day she had. The ups and downs and the downs far outweighed the ups. Thatcher had been perfect she had to admit, but knew deep down inside that this was all for the best. Her heart seemed to betray her in matters of love. She grew attached quickly only to have the pedestal high slide into a deep low when they inevitably didn't meet her high expectations. She had decided with Thatcher that maybe lowering the bar and taking things slowly was the best advice. That advice had been given to her by Olivia. Liv, Alex sighed, why had she been so cold to what was her one true friend.

Alex decided to return Olivia's call sometime later the next day as she was still stinging from her friends harsh words. She also couldn't understand where the vehemence in her words and the hurt from Olivia's word's came from. They were as close as Alex had ever been with any of her friends, but true to Alex's form her only other good friends were co-workers as well working for the DA's office at one point or another. One being Serena Southerland and the other was Abbie Carmichael. She was just as good friends with them, so then why did this feel so different? Why did it make her heart constrict and bring tears to her eye's. Why was she playing hard to get? Games were for lovers or potential lovers, not friends.

Meanwhile back at the precinct Olivia's paperwork complete, she decided to head home and try to rest what was turning into a terrible cold and what could quite possibly be the flu. Grabbing her patent leather coat she headed for the door. The squad room still bustled with activity but her friends were long gone and the DD-5 had drained her, trying to remain focused on filling in the blanks.

Olivia stopped off at her local bodega and stocked up on cold and flu remedies as well as chicken noodle soup and crackers. Then she headed home. When she reached her apartment she took her temperature and it came back the same as before 104.7 F. She took more fever reducer stripped leaving her clothes in a wake behind her, made sure her glock, ankle .38 and badge were stowed away safely and left her cuffs and badge on her belt as she made a beeline for the bed completely nude. The cool sheets felt wonderful against her hot skin. She had forgotten a water bottle but couldn't even muster the strength to head the short distance to the kitchen for one before she was out like a light.

Alex let herself into her apartment flipping on light switches kicking off heals and headed straight to the bedroom to divest herself of her stifling work clothes. She opted for a pair of blue jeans and a well worn Vassar's t-shirt. She had done her undergraduate there, following in the steps of her mother, and had gotten her law degree at Harvard, following in the footsteps of her father.

She picked up the phone as she had decided not to wait to till the next day to return Olivia's call and dialed Olivia's cell, breathing shallow and swallowing hard. The phone went straight to voicemail. Alex frustrated, didn't leave a message. Olivia ALWAYS picked up the phone for her. Now, Alex was pissed again! She grabbed her keys from the counter and made her way to her garage a block away. Upon seeing her the garage attendant jumped up and within moments, Alex was on her way to Olivia's apartment. She was had not been the one to initiate a makeup of any kind and Alex was not one to back down from an argument. Her court record proved that much about her.

Alex knocked on the door only to receive no answer. She called out angrily for Olivia to open the goddamn door. Finally, she used the key given to her by her friend feeling like she was betraying a confidence. The key had been given for use in friendship. It had not been given to continue or begin arguments or tifts.

What greeted Alex blew her away. Olivia was a neat freak and yet here was evidence quite to the contrary. Clothes were strewn about and grocery bags cluttered the breakfast bar. Alex pulled out her phone, called Liv's cell number only to hear a muffled ring coming from the pile of clothes littering the floor. She located the cell and turned it off. Well that explained why Olivia never picked up the phone. Alex was now perplexed as to what to do next. She decided on putting Olivia's grocery's away first to give herself time to think and Olivia time to appear. What she saw in the bags instantly had her flying into the bedroom.

She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that greeted her. Olivia was lying face down and had kicked the covers off to one side exposing half of her naked form. Alex swallowed hard. Olivia's body was perfection. All muscle, beautiful olive skin, and curves in all the right places. Olivia took that moment to moan and roll over onto her side. Alex felt a tingle course through her body. Olivia's breasts and mound were now in full view. Alex was glued to the spot and felt herself flushing. This was NOT how she felt about her friends she realized. This was way different!

She finally got the cement off her feet and moved forward. She gently tucked if not ruefully and brought the covers back over Olivia's prone form and felt her forehead. Olivia was burning up. Shit, she thought! How selfish she had been earlier. Olivia really wasn't herself and she had lashed out like a petulant child. She decided to make it up to Olivia as best she could. She went back into the kitchen and began to pour through the various cold medications that Olivia had purchased. Settling on one she liked she grabbed a water from the fridge and headed back into Olivia's room.


End file.
